With the end it sight, it is useful to reflect on areas of your teaching that we can address in class. Classroom management seems to be an issue that many of you are concerned about. Classroom management is also a big topic. List two to three management challenges you are are trying to improve at this time. Briefly describe some of the techniques that you have already tried. Describe what a class period will look like when these problems are "solved."
Classroom management is a tricky topic. The strategies used in the middle school and the high school are similar but obviously some work in the middle school and not the high school and vice versa. One strategy I have used in both the middle and high schools is the "wait for students to notice I am waiting for them to stop talking" method. Once there are a few side conversations, I will stop talking and wait for the students to re-focus. I usually try to give a semi-annoyed look too. At this point one of two things happen: a few students will usually tell the other students who are talking to be quiet and they listen, or they continue to talk. If they are continuing to talk, then I try and finish what I am saying but pausing part way through my sentence so students get the 'hint' that I am talking and they are interrupting me. This usually works and if it doesn't then I walk over to the students who are talking [while I am still talking] and use their name in what I'm talking about [Right, Michael?]. Again if this doesn't work then I tell the students that they need to stop talking and be quiet and that we will be getting a chance to move around and talk quietly shortly. This is difficult for me because if one student continues to talk after many warnings/or they talk back in a disrespectful manner, I know I need to send the student out to the AP's office and I need to work on if I make a 'threat' that they will be thrown out, I need to follow up on it.
I also tend to feel sympathetic towards the students and say 'stick with me' and 'hang in there' to keep them focused but what I tend to forget is that they are at school to LEARN! If I am telling them 'stick with me' it puts a negative connotation on my lesson and I love what I am teaching so it makes the students become less interested in the lesson and that it could actually be very interesting. I have been trying to say things like 'lets get refocused' or 'lets get back on track' if students have become sidetracked.
I know a lot of my management techniques will become perfected over time because I will have tried numerous amounts of strategies and eventually find some things that are successful! Once I do there will be a nice flow to the classroom and a great fair, respectful relationship with my students.
Classroom management is a tricky topic. The strategies used in the middle school and the high school are similar but obviously some work in the middle school and not the high school and vice versa. One strategy I have used in both the middle and high schools is the "wait for students to notice I am waiting for them to stop talking" method. Once there are a few side conversations, I will stop talking and wait for the students to re-focus. I usually try to give a semi-annoyed look too. At this point one of two things happen: a few students will usually tell the other students who are talking to be quiet and they listen, or they continue to talk. If they are continuing to talk, then I try and finish what I am saying but pausing part way through my sentence so students get the 'hint' that I am talking and they are interrupting me. This usually works and if it doesn't then I walk over to the students who are talking [while I am still talking] and use their name in what I'm talking about [Right, Michael?]. Again if this doesn't work then I tell the students that they need to stop talking and be quiet and that we will be getting a chance to move around and talk quietly shortly. This is difficult for me because if one student continues to talk after many warnings/or they talk back in a disrespectful manner, I know I need to send the student out to the AP's office and I need to work on if I make a 'threat' that they will be thrown out, I need to follow up on it.
I also tend to feel sympathetic towards the students and say 'stick with me' and 'hang in there' to keep them focused but what I tend to forget is that they are at school to LEARN! If I am telling them 'stick with me' it puts a negative connotation on my lesson and I love what I am teaching so it makes the students become less interested in the lesson and that it could actually be very interesting. I have been trying to say things like 'lets get refocused' or 'lets get back on track' if students have become sidetracked.
I know a lot of my management techniques will become perfected over time because I will have tried numerous amounts of strategies and eventually find some things that are successful! Once I do there will be a nice flow to the classroom and a great fair, respectful relationship with my students.